English translation — מאמר החודש הזה לכם תשל"א

With the help of Heaven.

Shabbos Parshas Vayikra,

Parshas HaChodesh,

Rosh Chodesh Nissan,

5731

(Talk)

"This month is for you the head of the months, it is the first for you of the months of the year."

Now,

the well-known statement of the Ibn Ezra is known:

"The moon has no year at all, just as the sun has no month at all."

That is,

the division of time called a year pertains to the sun,

for during a year the sun travels and revolves until it returns to its original place,

and then it revolves again once more, etc.,

therefore it is called "shanah," from the word "shinui" (change/repetition)

(that the same thing returns and is repeated once more),

but from month to month nothing changes in its course.

And the division of time called a month pertains to the moon,

for its course until it returns to the first point is the duration of a month,

but from year to year nothing changes in its course.

Based on this, we must understand what is written: "This month... for the months of the year,"

which mentions the matter of a year in relation to months.

Also, we must understand

what is written about Rosh Chodesh Nissan: "This month is for you the head of the months, it is the first...,"

yet the first of Tishrei is Rosh HaShanah.

And as explained in Likkutei Torah,

the precise meaning of "Rosh HaShanah"

(and not "beginning of the year"),

is that just as the head includes the life-force of all the limbs of the body,

so too Rosh HaShanah includes the life-force of the entire year,

for even though there is a renewal of life-force each day,

as the saying,

"Who renews in His goodness every day, constantly, the work of creation,"

and not only each day but even each moment,

nevertheless,

there is an established order in the drawing down and renewal of life-force,

that first there is the drawing down of the general life-force on Rosh HaShanah,

and it is then divided into twelve heads of months,

and from Rosh Chodesh it is drawn to all the days of the month.

And it is explained at length and in more detail in Ateret Rosh,

that there are two aspects of "head,"

the first,

that the life-force of all the limbs of the body is first included in the head and from there is drawn to all the limbs,

and the second,

that even after the life-force has already been drawn to all the particular limbs, the head is their director,

and as explained in Tanya,

that even now

(after the drawing of life-force from the head to all the limbs)

the nourishment of the nails is drawn from the brain in the head,

and these two aspects also exist in Rosh HaShanah.

Based on this, we must understand what it means that Rosh Chodesh Nissan is "the head of the months, the first"

("first" also meaning "head")

"it is for you of the months of the year,"

that is,

that Rosh Chodesh Nissan is analogous to the aspects in the analogy of the head in its simple sense,

yet the aspect of Rosh HaShanah is on the first of Tishrei.

2)

However, the concept is,

based on what is said in the Akeidah,

that in the conduct of the world by the Holy One, blessed be He, there are two modes.

Natural conduct,

and conduct that is above nature, which is miraculous conduct.

And this is the difference between Rosh Hashanah, which is on the first of Tishrei, and Rosh Chodesh Nissan,

for the first of Tishrei is the New Year for natural conduct,

and in the language of the verse, "the statutes of heaven and earth."

And regarding this it is said, "seed and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter... shall not cease,"

which includes all the changes throughout the months of the year,

and as it is brought in the Gemara,

"Half of Tishrei, Marcheshvan, and half of Kislev are for sowing, etc.,"

meaning,

that each of these six seasons includes two months of the year.

And Rosh Chodesh Nissan is the New Year for miraculous conduct,

which is the matter of the redemption of the Exodus from Egypt, which occurred in the month of Nissan in a miraculous manner.

And the beginning of the redemption was on Rosh Chodesh Nissan,

when the section of "This month is for you" was said, in which the commandment of the Paschal sacrifice was also stated,

as it is brought in the Mechilta

(cited in Rashi)

on the verse,

"And they went and did,"

"But had they already done [it]?

Rather, once they accepted upon themselves to do [it], Scripture credits them as if they had done [it]."

And it is also hinted at in the words of our Rabbis, of blessed memory,

"One might think from Rosh Chodesh, etc."

[And particularly according to the interpretation

"One might think from Rosh Chodesh"

(not merely as a possibility to be rejected,

but rather)

as a settled conclusion,

that it could already be from Rosh Chodesh,

except that it is not comparable to how it is on that day,

and particularly at the time when matzah and maror are placed before you],

from which it is understood that the matter of the redemption began already from Rosh Chodesh Nissan,

which is the New Year for miraculous conduct.

3)

Now, the difference between natural conduct

(Tishrei)

and miraculous conduct

(Nissan),

is understood based on the saying of our Rabbis, of blessed memory,

"When the Holy One, blessed be He, chose His world, He established for it new moons and years,

and when He chose Yaakov and his sons, He established for them a new moon of redemption,"

meaning,

that natural conduct is the conduct that the Holy One, blessed be He, established in His world to be continuous without interruption,

in contrast, miraculous conduct, which is in a manner of renewal, is connected with Yaakov and his sons,

for its drawing down is specifically through the service of Israel with their own power.

And as is emphasized in the Exodus from Egypt, which was in the merit of the blood of the Paschal sacrifice and the blood of circumcision,

and as it is written,

"And I said to you, 'In your blood, live,' and I said to you, 'In your blood, live'... and you were naked and bare..."

And this matter began already on Rosh Chodesh,

as mentioned above,

for then they accepted to fulfill the commandment, "They shall take for themselves, each man a lamb, etc.,"

in which the strength in the service of the Children of Israel is emphasized,

that despite the lamb being the deity of Egypt,

the Children of Israel were not influenced by the Egyptians and took the lamb to slaughter it as a sacrifice to G-d,

which is a miraculous conduct in the matter of service

[And to add,

that in this matter there is a novelty on Rosh Chodesh Nissan and on the tenth of the month, even regarding the fifteenth of Nissan,

because on Rosh Chodesh Nissan they were still in the exile of Egypt,

and nevertheless they were not influenced by the Egyptians, etc.],

and through this they caused that there should also be conduct from Above in a miraculous manner.

And the concept in this is,

that specifically through service with one's own power,

they draw down a new influence that is above the influence that exists continuously,

because,

the influence that exists continuously is only from the aspect of externality,

and through service with one's own power, they draw down from the aspect of internality.

4)

And an explanation of the matter,

for, behold,

even though in natural conduct the greatness of the Creator is also evident,

and moreover, specifically in natural conduct in a manner of "they shall not cease," the concept of "I am G-d, I have not changed" is manifest and revealed,

nevertheless,

in miraculous conduct, a more elevated level is revealed, which is above even the aspect of "I am G-d, I have not changed."

And the concept in this is,

that what is written "I am G-d, I have not changed" is in a level that has a connection and gives place to the matter of change,

therefore it is necessary to negate and say "I am G-d, I have not

changed,"

in contrast, in the level that is entirely above the category of change,

it is not applicable at all to say "I have not changed."

And in the language of our master, the Alter Rebbe, in Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah,

that if one were to say about some lofty and deep wisdom that it is impossible to touch it with hands because of the depth of the concept, behold, everyone who hears would laugh at him,

and this is because wisdom has no value or connection to the sense of touch,

and therefore it is not applicable to negate the matter of touch regarding it.

And similarly, it is not applicable to negate the matter of change in the level that is entirely above the matter of change.

And analogous to what is explained in the Responsa of the Rashba

(cited in Sefer HaChakirah of the Tzemach Tzedek)

in explaining the verse,

"And You are He, and Your years shall not end,"

that the verse speaks within the category of time

(which is within the comprehension of man, who is limited),

this is the matter of "Your years,"

and within the category of time there is a need to negate and say "shall not end,"

but it is not applicable to say this regarding the level that is entirely above time

[like the aspect of Shabbos, which is above time,

therefore on every Sunday we say "today is the first day of the week to Shabbos,"

even though many hundreds and thousands of days have passed since the creation of the world,

because the aspect of Shabbos is entirely above time.

And similarly regarding Rosh Chodesh, which is analogous to Shabbos].

And this is that natural conduct

(in which it is necessary to negate the matter of change,

"I am G-d, I have not changed")

is drawn from the aspect of externality,

in contrast, miraculous conduct

(in which it is not applicable to negate the matter of change)

is from the aspect of internality, which is entirely above worlds.

And in order to reach this level, which is above even the aspect of "I G-d have not changed,"

this is specifically through service with one's own power.

For behold,

even though "if you are righteous, what do you give Him," etc.,

nevertheless,

service is a need of the Most High,

and as our sages, of blessed memory, said,

that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe, "You should have helped Me,"

immediately [Moshe] said to Him, "And now, please let the power of my Lord be great,"

and as is explained in the discourses

on the verse "And now, please let the power of my Lord be great,"

that there is an aspect of "the power of my Lord" in its own right,

and through service, the magnification of "the power of my Lord" is effected.

And the explanation is,

as it is written,

"You yearn for the work of Your hands,"

"yearn" is an expression of delight,

and since constant delight is not delight,

therefore,

only through service below with one's own power,

which is a matter of renewal,

is true delight generated Above,

and therefore specifically through this is the drawing down from the aspect of the innermost dimension effected.

And this is what our sages, of blessed memory, said: When the Holy One, blessed be He, chose His world, He established in it new moons and years, and when He chose Yaakov and his sons, He established for them a Rosh Chodesh of redemption.

For,

the initial coming into being of the worlds was from His own essence,

because "He desires kindness,"

and not from the side of man's service,

and as it is written,

"and there was no man to work the ground"

(and only afterwards did the order come of "a mist arose from the earth and watered the entire face of the ground").

Therefore,

even though the coming into being from the aspect of "He desires kindness" is from the aspect of kindness that is above the chain of descent,

and even up to the aspect of "He desires kindness" as it is before the contraction,

this is only from the aspect of externality,

and from there is drawn a natural conduct in a manner of "they shall not cease,"

in which is revealed the matter of "I G-d have not changed,"

the aspect of externality.

And when He chose Yaakov and his sons,

then the matter of service with one's own power began,

through which one effects true delight Above

("You yearn for the work of Your hands"),

then one reaches the aspect of the innermost dimension, which is above even the aspect of "I G-d have not changed,"

and from there is drawn miraculous conduct,

a Rosh Chodesh of redemption.

Rosh Chodesh of redemption.

5)

And based on this, one can explain the connection of miraculous conduct to the general concept of Rosh Chodesh,

for Rosh Chodesh Nissan

(the new year for miraculous conduct)

is the head of the months.

And with a preface explaining the statement of the Ibn Ezra, "The moon has no year at all, just as the sun has no month at all,"

for at first glance,

since the course of both of them

(the moon and the sun)

is in a manner that they constantly return and revolve, etc.,

what is the difference between them that a year is specifically related to the sun and a month is specifically related to the moon,

for the moon also revolves and proceeds constantly as before?

And the explanation is simply,

that in the course of the sun there is no change or renewal

(for each year it returns and revolves as before,

"year" from the term "repetition"),

but not so the course of the moon, which is in a manner that has change and renewal,

for during the days of the month the moon changes from smallness to greatness,

for at the beginning of the month it is in smallness,

and from day to day it grows until the middle of the month,

and afterwards it diminishes until at the end of the month it is completely hidden,

and afterwards the birth of the moon is made anew,

therefore it is called "Chodesh" (month),

from the term "renewal,"

for it receives new light from the sun.

And this is the matter of the union of the sun and the moon that occurs on Rosh Chodesh,

which is an internal union,

for even though the union of the sun and the moon is a constant matter that exists throughout the entire month,

for the moon always receives its light from the sun,

nevertheless,

this is only an external union,

and its beginning and commencement is on Rosh Chodesh,

for then it is a union of the sun and the moon, an internal union

[And regarding internal union,

behold, about this our sages, of blessed memory, said,

"The Holy One, blessed be He, does not enter the lower Jerusalem until He enters the upper Jerusalem"].

And this is also the difference between natural conduct and miraculous conduct,

that constant conduct is drawn through an external union,

which is a constant union,

and miraculous conduct is drawn through an internal union,

a revelation of new light that is drawn from an aspect that is entirely above the chain of descent.

And about this it is said, "This month is for you the head of the months,"

that Rosh Chodesh, whose matter is internal union,

is related to miraculous conduct,

a Rosh Chodesh of redemption.

6)

However, it still needs to be understood what is written, "It is the first for you for the months of the year,"

that the concept of the month

(the Rosh Chodesh of redemption)

which indicates renewal

(a miraculous conduct that comes through the renewal of service with one's own power)

also relates to the year, which indicates constancy and the absence of change and renewal

(a natural conduct that was established at the beginning of creation).

The explanation of this is,

that, behold,

ultimately, all the matters in the chain of descent depend on the service of Israel, and they are for the sake of Israel,

meaning,

that even the natural conduct as it was established at the beginning of creation is for the sake of Israel,

and as it is brought in Rashi's commentary on the verse,

"In the beginning, G-d created..."

"For the sake of Israel, who are called 'beginning'."

And this is what is written,

"With the king in his work, they sat there,"

and our sages said,

"Whom did He consult? The souls of the righteous."

That is, He contemplated the souls of Israel

(as they would be in the future)

and created the world.

And as the Mitteler Rebbe wrote in Or HaTorah,

that the precedence of the will was so that there would be righteous Jews in every generation, and He, so to speak, contracted His radiance,

like the parable of a father who contracts his intellect and speaks childish words for the sake of his young son,

and also all the attributes of youthful actions are born in the father.

However, below, the son must first exist,

and afterwards the father can contemplate him, etc.,

but regarding the Holy One, blessed be He, the past and the future are equal before Him,

and He, may He be blessed, took delight from the deeds of the righteous

(that would be in the future)

and contracted Himself, etc.

However, before creation, the delight from the deeds of the righteous was in potential,

and afterwards

(when He chose Yaakov and his sons and gave them the Torah)

the deeds of the righteous

(service with one's own power)

needed to be in actuality,

and for this was the intention of creation.

And it is found,

that even the order of natural conduct

(year)

depends on the service of Israel,

and this is the matter of "This month is for you,"

"Since He chose Yaakov and his sons..." the Rosh Chodesh of redemption,

which is the renewal of the Giving of the Torah,

that the Torah descended below into this physical world,

meaning it penetrated even into the matters below in this physical world,

that even the aspect of natural conduct depends specifically on the service of Israel.

However, nevertheless there is a difference between the service that is for the sake of natural conduct,

and the service upon which miraculous conduct depends.

And the explanation is,

for it is written,

"If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them, then I will give your rains..."

And the simple explanation, as it is in the Written Torah

("A verse does not depart from its simple meaning")

is that "If you walk in My statutes" refers to the study of Torah in its simple sense,

and "keep My commandments" refers to the fulfillment of the commandments in general,

and then the reward, "I will give your rains in their time... and the tree of the field will give its fruit," is also in its simple sense,

meaning,

a natural reward.

And above this,

according to the explanation in the Oral Torah, in which the true will of the Supernal One is revealed,

as it is stated in the Toras Kohanim

(and brought in Rashi)

that the explanation of "If you walk in My statutes" is

(not just the study of Torah in general,

but rather)

that you should toil in Torah,

which is the matter of exertion in Torah beyond one's nature and habit.

And since "study is great because it leads to action,"

meaning,

that the toil in Torah is for the sake of observing and fulfilling,

then also "keep My commandments" is

(not just the fulfillment of the commandments in general,

but rather)

the fulfillment of the commandments with beautification, etc.

And then the reward is also in a miraculous manner, above nature,

"I will give your rains in their time,"

specifically on Wednesday nights and Shabbos nights,

"and the tree of the field will give its fruit,"

that even barren trees will produce fruit.

And this is: "This month is for you the head of months, it is the first for you among the months of the year,"

that the entirety of the concept of "this month is for you"

(since He chose Yaakov and his children)

indicates the service of Israel by their own power,

except that within this very thing there are two modes of service upon which depend two modes of conduct in the world,

miraculous conduct,

the concept of Rosh Chodesh Nissan,

the new moon of redemption,

and natural conduct,

the concept of the months of the year,

for "year" indicates natural conduct,

and "the months of the year" indicates that natural conduct depends on the service of Israel,

"this month is for you."

7)

And one should add and connect this with what is explained in the discourse "V'Har Sinai Ashan" 5628,

and this is its language: "Ashan" is an acronym for "Olam, Shanah, Nefesh" (World, Year, Soul),

and our master, my father-in-law, of blessed memory, explained that "year" refers to the twelve new moons, which are the twelve diagonal boundaries of the Sefiros, as is discussed at length in the discourse "Mechar Chodesh,"

and presumably he heard this from the Maggid, of blessed memory,

and "world" is the aspect of the Sefiros in their essence,

and this is because it is said, "For I said, 'The world is built with kindness,'"

and it is written, "Remember Your mercies and Your kindnesses, for they are from the world,"

that the aspect of "world" is from the aspect of the Sefiros,

and "soul" is the life-force of the world,

and it follows that it explains that the aspect of "soul" is higher than all of them,

end of his language.

And the concept in this,

that even "year" is connected with Rosh Chodesh,

for this is the matter of the twelve new moons of the year,

except that they are the twelve diagonal boundaries of the Sefiros,

that is,

that this is not the aspect of the Sefiros as they are in their place,

but rather as they are in diagonal boundaries,

and their concept in the Sefiros is the aspect of Malchus,

whose "feet descend"

into Biyah,

and even as it is in Atzilus, it is in the aspect of connection to the worlds of Biyah

(this is the root of natural conduct).

And above this,

the aspect of "world,"

the aspect of the Sefiros in their essence,

that is,

that which is above the worlds of Biyah

(this is the root of miraculous conduct).

And above this,

the aspect of "soul,"

the Sefirah of Binah,

which is the life-force of the world and consequently also the life-force of "year"

(which alludes to the service of Israel upon which depend the two modes of conduct of miracle and nature,

that is, Zeir Anpin and Malchus).

8)

And one may say, as a possibility,

that this is also hinted at in the three readings of this Shabbos: Parshas Vayikra,

the beginning of Toras Kohanim,

which refers to the children of Israel, about whom it is said,

"And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests" — the aspect of Nefesh

(Binah)

; "This month is for you,"

the reading of Parshas HaChodesh — the commandment of Rosh Chodesh in the Torah,

but in most years it is not on the day of Rosh Chodesh in the world — the aspect of "world," which is the aspect of the Sefiros in their essence

(Zeir Anpin,

which is above descent into Biyah)

; and "U'Vrashei Chodsheichem,"

the reading of Rosh Chodesh — Rosh Chodesh in the world — the aspect of "year," which is the twelve months

(Malchus,

whose feet descend into Biyah).

And according to the above: "U'Vrashei Chodsheichem" — indicates natural conduct

(Malchus),

"HaChodesh HaZeh" — indicates miraculous conduct

(Zeir Anpin),

and the reading of Toras Kohanim,

"Vayikra el Moshe" and it is not stated who is calling, etc. — according to one interpretation, it is the aspect of the Makif

(Kesser,

also the Makif of Binah,

a canopy over the groom and bride,

Zeir Anpin and Nukvah together)

— the world of freedom.